Wrapping up August: What’s new in the world of pigs?

August, due to holidays, was a relatively quiet month. Still – a number of interesting acquisitions surfaced and the Danish swine breeding industry continues to report new development. Here is a recap of August’s pig business news.

Aptimmune and Kemin announce partnership

Aptimmune Biologics and Kemin Industries announced a partnership in the global vaccine industry. SInce 31 July 2018, Kemin has been an equity shareholder in Aptimmune and has exclusive rights to its vaccines and vaccine technologies outside the US. As part of the partnership, the companies have formed Kemin Biologics, which will manufacture and market Aptimmune’s Barricade swine vaccine technology and products outside the US.

AgriSyst takes over German data service

The German office of agricultural data service AgriSyst has taken over the activities and employees of German PIG-Datendienst. The Dutch company had been active in Germany since 2015. With this acquisition, the company is to become a significant player in the German market. AgriSyst is currently servicing about 15% of the market in Germany, equalling to about 300,000 productive sows.

Isagri working together with Sino Info

French-based agricultural information company Isagri recently closed a joint-venture with Sino Info, a Chinese company in pig management data. They did so by acquiring 70% of the Beijing-based company. Isagri, created in 1983, only entered the Chinese market in 2017. Gang He, president of Sino Info, travelled to France in late June to sign the agreement. In total, the companies hope to be following 2 million sows.

Photo: Isagri

Evonik launching own GAA product

Time for some product news: Evonik has decided to launch its own guanidinoacetic acid-product (GAA) used to enhance energy metabolism in livestock production. The market launch is planned as soon as possible and became necessary after the AlzChem Group announced to terminate its supply agreement with Evonik by the end of this year. The GAA product Creamino currently distributed by Evonik is manufactured by AlzChem.

EU authorises probiotic for use in weaned piglets

The European Union has authorised Provita’s product Maxbios for the use in weaned piglets until August 2028. The product is a probiotic preparation of the spore-forming probiotic strain Bacillus subtilis DSM 28343. According to a press release, several trials have shown that the product has potential to increase weaning weight, daily live weight gain and the FCR in weaners. The product is added to the category ‘zootechnical additives’ as a ‘gut flora stabiliser’.

New Danish pig breeding company: Danish Genetics

Another new pig breeding company has been launched in Denmark: Danish Genetics. The new player is supported by a wide range of Danish breeders, multiplication specialists and vendors, as well as University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Technologies. The initiative to create the company was taken by 25 Danish pig breeding company owners in August 2018. The decision to do so was a consequence when Danish Agriculture and Food Council changed the DanAvl system.

DanBred finds distributor for Northern Europe

DanBred has expanded its presence in cooperation with its partner Klasse KI, a Dutch-based AI centre. Klasse KI will service the Netherlands, North West Europe and overseas markets. Klasse KI holds the single largest DanBred boar pool outside of Denmark, according to a press release. The Danish company established its own branch office in the Netherlands, and created a joint-venture with British ARL Genetics which will hold ownership of Klasse KI.

Photo: Danbred

Topigs Norsvin teams up with University of Alberta

The University of Alberta and Topigs Norsvin are taking a new innovative route in breeding social pigs. In their cooperation, they have set out to discover which metabolites play a role in pig behaviour. Metabolites are mostly small molecules, such as amino acids and other compounds, produced by biological processes in the body that play a role in pig behaviour. The collaborating researchers also want to discover which genes underlie such differences.

Biomin supports fight against mycotoxins in Africa

Natural feed additives company Biomin will be involved in a 3-year ‘MycoSafe-South’ project to tackle mycotoxin-related food safety issues in sub-Saharan Africa. The project has a value of nearly US$ 1 million and aims to identify safe-use options for aflatoxins- and fumonisins-contaminated food and feed, to reduce human exposure to fungi-produced mycotoxins from animal protein sources, and to promote education and awareness efforts.

Partnership by GlobalVetLink and UC Davis

GlobalVetLink and the University of California, Davis Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance will integrate their software solutions, LabLink HIMS and Disease BioPortal, for vets and livestock producers to manage diagnostic lab results and improve the speed of health-based decision making. With the partnership, LabLink HIMS automatically transmits data into Disease BioPortal, which offers tools for visualisation and multi-level analysis.

Vietstock: heading for 350 exhibitors

Vietstock 2018, to be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from 17-19 October 2018, will feature more than 350 companies showcasing products and technologies for the livestock, feed, nutrition and the meat industry. There will be multiple knowledge sessions driven by experts sharing expertise, technical knowledge during 3 days. The organisation expects 12,000 attendees from Vietnam and surrounding countries.

Photo: Vietstock

DSM: Patent suit against Anhui Tiger

Feed additives producer DSM is pursuing a patent infringement lawsuit in China against a competitor for “misappropriation of intellectual property pertaining to the production of a key ingredient of Biotin (also known as vitamin B7 or vitamin H).” DSM stated to be seeking an injunction preventing Tiger from using the process for the ‘environmentally friendly’ manufacturing of a key ingredient in Biotin. DSM also stated to be seeking monetary damages.